The great Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Holy Mary of the Angels), was constructed between 1569 and 1679 in accordance with the wishes of the Pope, St. Pius V, (1566-72), in order to contain the chapels of the Porziuncola, the Rose Garden, and the Passing, as well as other places sacred to the memory of St. Francis, and to welcome the visitors from all around the world who came to visit them.

The original design of Galeazzo Alessi (1512-72) is characterized by a rigorous natural simplicity reflecting the Franciscan ideal of poverty. The powerful earthquakes which struck Umbria in 1832 caused serious damage to the Basilica. At the end of a long and complex restoration, directed by the architect, Luigi Poletti, it was reopened for religious celebrations on 8^th September 1840.

The façade was radically restructured in 1913, by Dante Viviani, with the intention of conferring a majesty worthy of the importance of the Shrine. It was officially inaugurated on 8^th June 1930 and an imposing gilded bronze statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on top of it.